Saturday, 6 February 2016

Greens Break Through In Shropshire, Go from Strength to Strength in the West Midlands

Another Green by-election gain, congratulations to Duncan! Our surge in 2015 continues and 2016 looks set to continue to see more Green seats in councils. Press release from the party below:

DUNCAN Kerr has won a by-election for the Shropshire Council seat of South Oswestry.

With his win, the Green Party now has councillors on 11 different councils across the West Midlands.

The seat had been held since 2013 by the Conservative ex-Leader of the Council Keith Barrow. Kerr triumphed on the night thanks to a 17.1% upswing which saw the Greens' percentage rise to a commanding 48.8%.

Kerr is an active local campaigner who was runner up in the seat in the 2013 election, and he has been a Town Councillor on Oswestry Town Council since 2013. (1)

Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, offered her congratulations:

"Duncan’s win in Shropshire is richly deserved. Like Greens up and down the country he has listened to the concerns of his community and demonstrated a genuine preparedness and readiness to challenge the status quo.

“The Green Party is going from strength to strength in the West Midlands, where increasing numbers of people are sick and tired of business-as-usual politics, and attracted to the Greens' blueprint for a fair economy, publically owned and run services and a safe climate.”

Kerr said:

"I would like to thank the people of South Oswestry for their support.

"Shropshire faces a very uncertain future with threats to all services from libraries and parks to care services for the elderly and young people all under threat."

"From my own knowledge and experience of 30 years in local government, I know there is an alternative to this dismantling of our society."

"I will be calling for policies which will rebuild the economy and vitality of our great town."

Notes

1) Duncan Kerr has spent thirty years working for, or acting as a consultant to, local government. As a town councillor in Oswestry since 2013, he has campaigned on the threat to Shrewsbury's A&E, against fracking, for safer 20 mph speed limits on Oswestry's residential streets, opposed eyesore developments and helped dozens of residents with their problems and issues.